Dysarthria
We use many muscles to talk. These include muscles in our face, lips, tongue, and throat, as well as muscles for breathing. It is harder to talk when these muscles are weak. Dysarthria(slurred speech) happens when you have weak muscles due to brain damage. It is a motor speech disorder and can be mild or severe.
Dysarthria can happen with other speech and language problems. A person with dysarthria may also have problems controlling the pitch, loudness, rhythm, and voice qualities of his or her speech. Dysarthria is caused by paralysis, weakness, or inability to coordinate the muscles of the mouth. Dysarthria can occur as a developmental disability. It may be a sign of a neuromuscular disorder such as cerebral palsy or Parkinson's disease. It may also be caused by a stroke, brain injury, or brain tumor. Treatment of dysarthria includes intensive speech therapy with a focus on oral-motor skill development.
Signs of Dysarthria:
• Have "slurred" or "mumbled" speech that can be hard to understand
• Speak slowly
• Talk too fast
• Speak softly
• Not be able to move your tongue, lips, and jaw very well
• Sound robotic or choppy
• Have changes in your voice, you may sound hoarse or breathy
A speech language pathologist will work with you to develop an individualized plan to meet your speech goals. The plan may include:
• Exercises to strengthen mouth muscles
• Ways to slow down speech
• Strategies to speak louder, such as using more breath
• Ways to say sounds clearly motor planning
• Movements to chew and swallow safely
• Different communication techniques, such as gestures or writing or augmentative alternative communication (AAC)